Welcome to the Consumerist Archives

Thanks for visiting Consumerist.com. As of October 2017, Consumerist is no longer producing new content, but feel free to browse through our archives. Here you can find 12 years worth of articles on everything from how to avoid dodgy scams to writing an effective complaint letter. Check out some of our greatest hits below, explore the categories listed on the left-hand side of the page, or head to CR.org for ratings, reviews, and consumer news.

On Tuesday afternoon around 3:30 PM, a man opened fire with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle at the Clackamas Town Center mall in Portland, Oregon. According to police, wo people were killed and as many as six injured, at least one of whom is hospitalized and in serious condition. Early reports indicated that the gunman may have been wearing body armor and/or camouflage, and was wearing the hockey mask associated with Jason in the Friday the 13th films. After firing up to 60 rounds, he killed himself. No law enforcement officers fired any shots inside the mall.

TV station KATU interviewed the mall Santa on duty that afternoon. He hit the ground when he heard shots: “fortunately there weren’t too many kids or people in the set area,” he told reporters. After the shooter opened fire near Macy’s, shoppers and employees alike huddled in stores while waiting to hear that it was safe to leave. “When about 40 people run out a store screaming, you know nothing good is going on,” a shopper who was dining at a Panera near the Macy’s store told an Oregonian reporter.